As the new year arrived, anticipation filled the air, Canopy NWA was busy preparing to welcome new neighbors. Five families scheduled to arrive in Northwest Arkansas during the month of January, just before Inauguration Day.
Among these arrivals were two young individuals finally reuniting with their mother after years apart. The last family touched down on January 17th, completing a month that reminded us all of what makes this community so extraordinary: our Circle of Welcome volunteers.
What Is a Circle of Welcome?
At Canopy, a Circle of Welcome is a team of trained volunteers who make a six-month commitment to walk alongside a newly arrived family. They are the “first friends” in a new land. Guides to the community, mentors in daily life, and companions through cultural adjustment.
These volunteers help with practical needs like grocery shopping, transportation, and navigating local systems, but their most meaningful contribution is friendship. They attend soccer games, share meals, visit parks, and celebrate birthdays. They are the ones who remind our new neighbors that they belong. These volunteers work hand-in-hand with Canopy’s staff to help families achieve self-sufficiency. Empowering them to learn, find work, and thrive in Northwest Arkansas. It’s a model of partnership, patience, and hope.
A Season of Uncertainty—and Unbreakable Circles
In January, as national changes loomed and refugee travel plans fluctuated, Canopy had prepared for more families to arrive before Inauguration Day. Thirteen additional families were scheduled to travel, and trained Circles of Welcome jumped into action, ready to greet them. They stood ready to turn apartments into homes, grocery lists in hand, and airport signs painted with welcome messages in multiple languages.
But when plans shifted and arrivals paused, those same volunteers stayed steadfast. Their readiness and warmth show the heart of this community. When flights delay or policies change, they keep the welcome moving forward.
It’s literally a circle that never breaks.
Friendship That Lasts
Circle of Welcome volunteers often stay connected to their families long after the official six months have passed. They cheer from the sidelines at children’s soccer games, gather for cultural celebrations, and celebrate milestones. New jobs, citizenship ceremonies, or simply another shared meal around the table.
These relationships are the living embodiment of Canopy’s mission: creating a community where refugees and neighbors thrive together.
Waiting Together
Though no new arrivals have joined us since January, our circles and our hearts remain open. Everywhere we go, people ask: “What can we do to help when families start arriving again?”
Our answer is simple. Stay ready, stay hopeful because the moment we can welcome new neighbors again, Canopy’s Circle of Welcome volunteers will be there. Arms wide, smiles ready, forming new circles of friendship that will last a lifetime.
Responses